REBELS SUFFER BURNS

Worthing assistant manager Danny Bloor then listed squad changes in the wake of Saturday's first-fence fall at the hands of a reportedly unimpressive Kent county league side in front of a gate bearing a huge Worthing majority.

Back to North London will go new signings this season, forwards Brahim Eloumani and Younis Nabil ("It was not working goegraphically and they are not what we wanted." '” Bloor)

Full-back Ian Payne will join Horsham, in exchange for a Worthing-based midfielder still to be named ("We like Ian but we're disappointed with his fitness levels." '” Bloor again, who added: "Another way we've reacted is with a very hard training session on Tuesday '” no balls, just fitness work.")

Worthing have secured another month's loan from Dorchester Town of goalkeeper Mark Ormerod, so Will Packham goes on loan to Bognor Regis.

Already on his way from Burgess Hill last week was Matt Geard, 20 the gifted dead-ball specialist son of like father, Glen.

"We could benefit from his talent while he progresses, we would expect, back into the professional game," opines Bloor, who was Geard's Burgess Hill manager until last season.

Worthing's seemingly unfocused start to the season was underlined on Saturday after Phil Ruggles had given them a 20th-minute lead when suspect keeper Grant Hall dropped an Eloumani cross.

There, Rebels' air of superiority ended, Hall was seriously tested only once more and several first-half injuries to the keeper brought added time, six minutes into which Marc Pullan was adjudged to have handled, and Adam Heaslewood's penalty changed the game.

Even so, Hall's 57th-minute save at Ruggles' feet was the nearest to a goal until an 80th-minute alarm bell rang. Heaslewood's header was ruled out for a foul on Packham but in the 88th Dean Burns put away the winner from Curtis Williams' cross with both opponents allowed a huge dollop of space.

Then it was all too late for Rebels to avert another FA Cup humiliation.

WORTHING: Packham; Holmes, Pullan, Lamont, Knee; Hill, Rogers, Grice, Rents; Eloumani, Ruggles. Subs: Pulling, Lutwyche (Grice, Rents HT), Pook, Alexander, Francis. Att: 71.

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